Morley Update 2012 #26

Have I mentioned lately that it is HOT here? This last week the temperature has been around 105 every day and it is supposed to continue. This morning at 9:30am it is 92 degrees. The heat is hard on us as we trudge around with sweat dripping down our faces. It is even harder on our refugee friends who live in crowded one room apartments with little ventilation in the heart of city. When it gets hot like this the cement of the buildings and the asphalt of the street radiate the heat back making it seem even hotter than it is. When we welcome refugees in to the ARC most of them head directly for the water cooler we have by the front door, quenching their thirst and splashing a little cold water on their faces and hands. Despite the heat the women remain well covered. They come in wearing long sleeved jackets or shirts over long pants and of course their heads are wrapped in the mandatory scarf. These coverings are symbols of the bondage they are under in Islam. There is no freedom from guilt, no lifting of the veil of blind obedience, no respite from the oppressive heat of striving to please God. They struggle along stifling under the weight of never knowing if they've done enough. How we long to have them experience the joy of knowing that they don't have to strive any longer. To realize that Jesus did it all for them on the cross and they can know forgiveness and peace and freedom.

We are beginning to see a movement among the women. More and more are wanting to study the bible and several have accepted the Lord. Three months ago a dear friend made a commitment to the Lord. (I have removed the details about her story from this post to protect her identity) Pray for her to be bold about openly sharing her faith and pray for peace and comfort as persecution will surely follow. I believe that as women begin to open up about their faith more women will have the courage to step forward.

We had an answer to prayer last week. Our cupboard of dry foods was empty and we had run out of summer clothes for children and had very few clothes for women and men. We prayed that God would provide and within a few days a British school in the area contacted us to say they had two car loads of clothes ready to be picked up. A local church also contacted us with another load of clothes and food supplies. We also received a donation of baby supplies including diapers and strollers. Where God leads He provides!

Please join with us in praying for Heather and Chris Shepherd. This is a couple who have been working toward joining our team. They have finally raised all their support and planned to be here and at work at the beginning of the summer. However they have been turned down twice by the Greek Embassy in Chicago for two different types of Visas. They will try a third and final time within this next few weeks. If they are turned down again they will join a team elsewhere. Please pray that if God wants them here He will override the will of the woman at the embassy who seems unwilling to bend.

Kent and I will be making a quick trip home to the USA in the month of August. This is our official furlough year but we didn't feel we could take three months right now with the change over in leadership and other considerations. The ARC will be closed one week in August and it is usually a slower time. Kent was also invited to attend a leadership conference in Chicago during this time so it seemed a good time for us to go. Since our trip is short we will mainly be using it to visit family dividing our time between MA, CA and OR with Kent making a stop in Chicago. We will only be doing one speaking engagement. We will speak at Fern Ridge Christian Church (formerly Elmira Church of Christ) on August 12 for both Sunday School at 9:30 and Church at 11:45. If you are in the area and would like to come out for this we'd love to see you.

Well I need to close and walk up to the Laiki and get my fruits and vegetables before it gets any hotter. We love you all and look forward to seeing some of you next month.

Serving Him Together,
Kent and Myrna Morley
Tripoleos 76
Elliniko 16777
Athens Greece
011 30 210 96 38 625
backhoeboy1@gmail.com
http://kent-uniquelymorley.blogspot.com
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